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By Richard Webster, International Education Manager, Community Development
According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), 72.5% of international students plan to apply for a post-graduate work permit (PGWP) and 60% of international students plan to apply for permanent residence in Canada (PR) (CBIE, 2022). As international enrolment continues to increase, it is particularly important that SLC, local employers, and community organizations continue to work together to enhance and establish intentional supports and pathways for attracting, hiring, and retaining international students and graduates.
One exemplary (and scalable) model of such efforts includes J.E. Agnew Food Services Ltd.’s Immigration Support Program - a supportive opportunity provided to team members who are working towards permanent residency and employed at one of their 14 Tim Hortons locations in Kingston and area. This impactful program was established in March 2021 as the result of productive discussions and collaboration between Agnew Foods’ Human Resources Manager, Andrea Payne, and Pam Armstrong, Professor and Marketing Placement Coordinator, School of Business. The program provides students with the opportunity to complete their placement and/or work part-time during their studies at one of their locations and qualified team members may advance into full-time positions and receive both management training and support with their PR. Examples of management positions that team members can, and have, advanced into include Team Lead, Supervisor, Junior Assistant Manager, Assistant Manager and Restaurant Manager.
An SLC Marketing graduate (2020), Priya Sharma, participated in Agnew Foods’ Immigration Support Program with exceptional success. Her journey with the company began with her placement in January 2020, followed by employment with the company that May and by December 2020 she was training as a Floor Supervisor. Thanks to both her employer’s support and her hard work, she continues to be promoted within Agnew Foods and is currently Assistant Manager and in the final stages of her pathway to PR. Congratulations Priya!
When asked what advice she would give to her international student/graduate peers, Priya recommends that despite the challenges and uncertainty to “remain patient.” She believes that hard work will be recognized and is immensely thankful for all of the support she received throughout this process, particularly from both Pam and Andrea.
For participating team members, Andrea explained further that Agnew Foods is committed to:
- providing help with immigration paperwork;
- writing letters of support;
- providing supervisory/management opportunities (if appropriate);
- communicating with immigration lawyers/representatives; and,
- maintaining open communication and support of participants along the way.
This noteworthy program is without a doubt a win-win for everyone involved - an invaluable opportunity for international students and graduates and a conduit for attracting and retaining new talent for the employer. Andrea importantly noted the increasing diversity of their employee teams, the intercultural and language learning taking place and that “without international students and graduates, half of our locations would simply not be able to remain open and staffed adequately to meet hours of operation or guest volume. The workforce, recruitment, and the nature of work have completely changed over a few short years.” This is a poignant reminder of the economic, social and cultural value of our international students and their impact on each of our tri-campus communities.
Agnew Foods also signed the City of Kingston’s Workplace Inclusion Charter in October 2019 and was one of the first workplaces in Kingston to do so. As a signatory to the Charter, Agnew Foods was well positioned to promote employment practices and develop strategies to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including the Immigration Support Program. Another example includes the employer’s recently developed Multilingual Policy intended “to ensure that all workplace parties can effectively work together and feel included while doing so.”
If you have any questions about this or other programs, know of other employers doing similarly impactful work, or if you are an employer interested in learning more about this model, please contact Richard Webster, International Education Manager of Community Development at rwebster@sl.on.ca.